Garmin

Garmin Descent Mk3i

The Mk3 with wireless air integration for up to 8 tanks and diver-to-diver messaging.

Manufacturer app only

Not supported by libdivecomputer. You're locked into the manufacturer's own app to get dive logs off this computer.

Garmin Descent Mk3i
3.8Comparison Score
$1599.99
Buy on AmazonBuy on Scuba.com
Released2023
Max depth rating200m
AlgorithmBühlmann ZHL-16C with gradient factors
Air integrationwireless
Wirelessbluetooth, wifi
Display1.2" AMOLED touchscreen with sapphire lens (51mm model adds a built-in flashlight)
Batteryrechargeable
Digital compassYes
Gas typesair, nitrox, trimix
Gas switches12
CCR capableYes

"Gas switches" is how many different mixes this computer can be programmed to switch between mid-dive, mostly relevant for technical/staged-decompression diving. It doesn't tell you which gas types (air, nitrox, trimix) are supported. See Gas types and the product description above for that.

Pros
  • Wireless air integration monitoring up to 8 tanks at once
  • Underwater diver-to-diver messaging, unusual among consumer dive computers
  • 51mm version adds a built-in LED flashlight
Cons
  • Garmin's most expensive dive computer, especially in 51mm titanium trims (up to $1,799.99)
  • Requires separately sold transmitters for the air integration feature
  • AMOLED display trades some battery efficiency versus the older MIP Mk2 line
Diver community sentiment
Mixed opinions

Divers on Scubaboard and Garmin's own forums consistently praise the Mk3i's AMOLED screen (a major upgrade over the Mk2i), strong battery life, rugged build, and core dive accuracy. Recurring complaints center on software reliability: multiple users reported the watch entering an unrecoverable boot loop after a software update, including cases that bricked the device mid-trip, prompting some to carry a backup computer. On r/scuba, sentiment skews more favorable, technical divers who use the Mk3i (or its X-series siblings) alongside or instead of Shearwater report it as fully capable for trimix/CCR training with no reliability complaints, and several argue Garmin's software and multi-tank transmitter support beats Shearwater's, though some acknowledge the brand loyalty toward Shearwater in tech-diving circles runs deep. Other gripes include an overly complex menu system and a high price.

Scubaboard: The Ugly Truth About the Garmin Descent Mk3iScubaboard: detailed in-water first impressionsGarmin Forums: boot-loop reliability threadr/scuba: Mk3i vs Shearwater for TDI trimix training

Summarized from public forum discussion (Scubaboard, Reddit, and similar), not a survey we ran ourselves. See the linked threads for the original conversations.

The Mk3i is Garmin’s current flagship dive computer, pairing the Mk3’s AMOLED touchscreen and 200m depth rating with wireless air integration across up to 8 tanks and a diver-to-diver messaging feature that’s unique to Garmin’s line.